AI Agents for Manufacturing

Manufacturing is a constant balancing act: raw materials in, finished goods out, and a thousand things that can go wrong in between. What if AI agents helped you stay on top of it all?

From inventory optimization to supplier coordination, AI agents can automate the operational complexity that keeps your plant running smoothly—without expensive ERP implementations or per-seat software costs.

The Manufacturing Software Tax

Every manufacturing tool adds up. Here is what a typical 10-person plant pays annually for production and inventory management software:

Tool	Price/User	Annual (10 users)
SAP Business One	$143/user/mo	$17,160
Katana MRP	$99/user/mo	$11,880
Fishbowl	$349/user/mo	$4,188
Epicor	$150/user/mo	$18,000

Prices for professional tiers as of December 2025. Most require annual contracts and implementation fees.

You are spending $4,000-5,000/month on software that still requires manual data entry, spreadsheet reconciliation, and constant updates.

Common Manufacturing Challenges

Running a manufacturing operation means balancing production demands with supply chain complexity. These challenges drain operational efficiency:

AI Agents Built for Manufacturing

These agents work together to handle the operational complexity that keeps your plant running:

A Day in the Life

See how AI agents handle real manufacturing workflows:

Morning Inventory Check

#plant-ops — Slack

What is our raw material status for this week production schedule?

Critical Materials Status

Material	On Hand	Reorder Point	Status
Steel Plate 1/4"	2,400 lbs	3,000 lbs	PO in transit (Dec 18)
Aluminum Extrusion	1,800 ft	1,500 ft	Adequate
Fastener Kit A-7	450 units	500 units	Reorder triggered

The steel plate shipment from Acme Steel is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. I have contacted the supplier and confirmed the ETA. The fastener reorder PO was sent to Precision Parts this morning.

Production Schedule Review

Supplier Delivery Alert

#procurement — Slack

Supplier Delay Detected

Precision Parts notified us that PO-4521 (bearing assemblies) will be delayed 3 days due to capacity issues. This affects work order WO-2849 scheduled for December 20. I have identified two options: expedite from alternate supplier Allied Components (2-day lead time, 15% premium) or reschedule WO-2849 to December 23.

Check if we can expedite. What is the cost difference?

Allied Components can ship tomorrow at $2,340 vs $2,100 from Precision Parts. The $240 premium is less than the estimated $800 production delay cost. I have drafted the PO for your approval and notified the production team of the potential schedule hold.

Your Data, Your Files, Your Control

Unlike traditional manufacturing software that locks your data in proprietary databases, Lazarus uses a file-first approach:

/workspace
  /inventory
    raw-materials.csv
    work-in-progress.csv
    finished-goods.csv
    reorder-points.md
  /suppliers
    /acme-steel
      contract.pdf
      purchase-orders.csv
      performance.md
    /precision-parts
      contract.pdf
      purchase-orders.csv
  /production
    work-orders.csv
    schedules/
    bom-templates/
  /quality
    inspections.csv
    non-conformances.md

Every BOM, every work order, every supplier record is organized in folders you control. Export anytime. No vendor lock-in. The AI reads these files and takes action based on context—update a production schedule, and all agents see it immediately.

Your plant knowledge stays in files you own—not locked in software you rent.

Your AI Operations Team

Set up a team of specialized agents that work together to run your plant:

How They Work Together

A team of AI agents running 24/7 so your plant managers can focus on process improvement and strategic decisions.

Works With Your Existing Stack

Connect via email, Slack, or API. No complex ERP integrations required.

Agents communicate through the same channels your team uses. They work alongside your existing tools—QuickBooks for accounting, spreadsheets for tracking—not as expensive replacements.